


A Casual Conversation Among Alcohol

by CherryCarmine



Series: Tales from The Black Realm [4]
Category: Ancient Egyptian Religion, Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Norse Religion & Lore, Original Work
Genre: Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Blood, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fights, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, M/M, Multi, Original Character Death(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Teasing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:46:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26779087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryCarmine/pseuds/CherryCarmine
Summary: A series of one-shots in which the gods muse over alcohol.Latest chapter: Musings of the Beer Goddess (Seth/Nephthys).
Relationships: Apollo/Loki, Nephthys/Set
Series: Tales from The Black Realm [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827358
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. The Taste of Blood and Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zagreus discovers a new ability while looking over the aftermath of one of his festivals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm treating Zagreus as Dionysus (specifically Orphic Dionysus) in this story, as opposed to them being two separate and unrelated gods.

Zagreus looked at the bodies strewn about the cave. Nothing new here, he thought; his followers deliberately intoxicated themselves to receive his blessings, some even giving him their souls in the process. And quite a few souls were floating around the cave tonight. Moreso than usual. 

(A shame Zeus threatened to strip Zagreus of his godhood should he refuse to hand a few souls over to Hades. Oh well, Zagreus knew which ones held little worth to the gods.)

He walked further into the cave. The sight of two bodies lying ahead caught his attention; he could tell they were dead long before he made it there. As he got closer, he saw two men lying next to each other - one young and the other an elder. The sight of their blood - still fresh on their bodies - intrigued him. 

Zagreus turned to the young man. He was one of Zagreus' favorite followers; he looked forward to hearing the man's gentle singing voice every day. Not to mention he was beautiful - much like a young greek man in his prime - so much so he had planned on making the man a demigod so he could enjoy his presence a little while longer. (At least until he got bored and found someone better. Monogamy seemed so boring; how Hades and Persephone managed to stay happy together for so long baffled Zagreus to no end.) 

What on earth could've happened that led up to this? Zagreus ran his finger along the young man's knuckle, gathering a decent amount on the tip. 

Would his wine taste better with blood?

Zagreus summoned his chalice, then dipped his finger inside, stirring the blood in the wine. He took a sip. His eyes widened as a vision came to him.

The young man was chatting with a woman before the elder came behind him, putting his arm around the young man's shoulder and getting a bit too close for his liking. He pushed the elder away and hurried his friend along. But the elder quickly recovered and grabbed his wrist. His friend tried pulling him back, but the elder refused to let go until the other man finally broke free and punched him in the face. 

And things went downhill from there as the fight escalated, dragging a few bystanders into their brawl. The others cheered them on, and some even started fighting amongst themselves.

Then everything turned dark.

Zagreus blinked. He had no idea he was even capable of such a thing. Perhaps he should try it again, to be sure. 

How fun it would've been to witness such a chaotic event (and how quickly things escalated amused him even more). An event he would've put a satisfying end to. 

But he'll settle with living out their last moments through their blood.


	2. Cyser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apollo goes out on a date with a strange person.

Drinking with an obnoxious person isn't one of the strangest things Apollo has done. And he's sure it won't be the last.

But here he was on a "date" with Loki, the other man leaning against him in pure bliss.

He needed to stop being so competitive; Loki proved to be much stronger than his delicate appearance implied.

Apollo took a sip of the mead Loki had brought, the taste of cinnamon, apple, and honey mixing in perfect harmony. He was surprised at how sweet it tasted. He never expected a guy like Loki to enjoy something like this.

He'd rather have something more bitter, though; Apollo favored the wine Dionysus made over that of the humans' by far.

The rattling from Loki's cuffs took him out of his thoughts. He blushed as their eyes met, the other man caressing his face.

"This is boring. Let's go back to your place instead."

Apollo grimaced slightly at the pitiful look on the other man's face. _Why did he have to be so cute?_ Those large black eyes, that round face; it's like looking at another Adonis. Had Loki been a brunette, Apollo would've sworn he was looking at the young god's reincarnation. (Apollo secretly regretted not seeking him out at least once; a very, very small part of Apollo had hoped Adonis inherited his mother's promiscuity.)

Such a shame that Loki isn't the innocent type; Apollo had to admit he would've fallen for that pitiful look had they never met before.

Apollo put his hand over Loki's, squeezing it gently. "I'd rather not be alone with you unless there are other people nearby." Despite said people being miles below where they're sitting, enjoying the festivities.

Loki chuckled. "So you'd rather someone watch us instead?"

Apollo groaned in frustration, finally pulling himself away from the other man. "You know what I mean, pervert!" Loki's laughter made him blush. He swore this guy was going to be the end of him.

Loki drunk some of the cyser from his bottle before speaking again. "Relax, love. It's the Night Parade." He suddenly hugged Apollo. "We should be having fun!"

"I highly doubt acting drunk can be considered 'fun,'" Apollo said, trying to push him away.

"Who says I'm acting?"

"I've been around many, _many_ drunks before. I'm pretty good at telling when someone's drunk." Being around people like Dionysus for so long made that easy.

"Hmph! Easy for you to say - you've barely touched your bottle! And after all that trouble I went through to get these," Loki grumbled.

"I'm not trying to get wasted! Especially not around you!"

Loki moved away slightly. "Oh, come on! If you do something stupid, you can blame it on the alcohol."

_There goes that ridiculous pout again._

The feeling of Loki's hands sliding back to his own made Apollo look down at them. The rusted cuff links had intrigued Apollo ever since their first meeting; of course, _he'd_ go as far as crossing the gods for his amusement. But what did he even do to end up with these things in the first place?

He must've been staring at them for too long; Loki quickly drew his hands away from Apollo's and crossed his arms.

"That bastard Odin put these things on me," Loki said bitterly.

Odin? Is he a god too?

"The next time I see him, I'm gonna make him take these damn things off, even if I have to beat him within an inch of his life."

It looks like Apollo's hypothesis was correct: not only is this guy a criminal, he's the type who holds grudges too.

Even his aura felt abnormal. Is he even a god?

He must be truly desperate for companionship if he was willing to spend time with a guy like this.

Then again, this is the same guy whose idea of greeting a person was _kissing them at first sight._

Perhaps if he hadn't spent so much time teaching the Muses - as well as anybody else who sought his advice in the arts - he might've found himself a decent partner by now.

At least until their inevitable breakup.

Still, it's been so long since his previous relationship he's more than willing to put up with someone who, while not the best, was more than happy being with him.

Maybe they could work out an agreement.

Apollo grabbed his bottle and took another drink, this time slightly longer than the last.

Blame it on the alcohol, he says. He can't do that yet. But Loki doesn't need to know that.

Apollo turned to him. "All right, here's the deal: I'll let you stay at my place for a while if you promise not to bother me while I'm working. Got that?"

Loki grinned. "No promises."

Apollo couldn't help laughing at such a blunt answer.

He had terrible taste in partners.


	3. Musings of the Beer Goddess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nephthys muses over her relationship with Seth after attending the wedding celebration of their siblings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I've posted something on here. I wanted to write something for Halloween, but I couldn't think of anything scary/creepy. So here's something sweet instead.

It wasn't unusual for Nephthys to see her fiancé drunk. But he seemed intoxicated tonight, judging by his constant laughter and aimless rambling. She knew how much Seth loved to drink and had a high tolerance for alcohol. But she had decided to increase said tolerance a bit further using her power over alcohol just to be on the safe side.

Perhaps it would've been better if she had granted him temporary immunity instead.

Seth laughed as he and Nephthys stepped into their home. His arm was draped around Nephthys' shoulders. "Ah, I feel great!" he said excitedly. He stumbled a little, startling Nephthys for a brief moment.

Nephthys giggled at the sudden declaration. "Well, you do right now," she stated. Dealing with a hungover Seth was a nightmare, what with his constant complaining and refusing to leave their bed.

Seth looked at her. "What are you talking about? I feel great all the time! 'Specially when I'm around you," he said proudly. He says that. But it wasn't always the case. Nephthys remembered how he used to resent being the only child among the Ennead. To the point where he couldn't even stand being around Nephthys herself, feeling conflicted about his stunted growth and his sudden attraction towards the goddess. It took her reassuring him multiple times that he to would become an adult someday. That he just had to be patient.

And how proud he was when that day came, his fellow gods and humans having thrown him an extravagant festival in celebration of his reaching adulthood. (Needless to say, he splurged on alcohol that night as well, having discovered a fondness for shedeh.) 

Nephthys let out a sigh of relief when they finally made it to their bed. She removed Seth's arm from her shoulders. "Steady now," she said as she gently pushed him onto the bed.

Seth gave her a warm smile. "I mean it, Neph," he purred. Nephthys yelped as Seth pulled her next to him. He then hugged her and buried his face in her hair. "I'm glad you're my wife."

Nephthys giggled and wrapped her arms around him. "And I'm glad you're my husband." They weren't married yet, but there's no point in telling him that now - he'll forget about it in a few minutes anyway. Besides, she enjoyed being held by him.

At least until she felt his arms tighten around her. "Hey, Sutekh? You're squeezing me," she said, trying to get out of his grip.

"I can't help it; you're so cute!"

"Sutekh!"

Seth sighed and finally let her go. "Oh, come on," he grumbled. "It wasn't that tight."

Nephthys gave him an incredulous look. Of course, he'd say that. She noticed the sullen look on his face. "Did it bother you that much, having to let me go?" 

He pouted. "No," he said. "I'm more bothered by you not wearing that other dress I got you." He sat up. "It took weeks for the tailors to get it exactly the way I wanted it! And I know plenty of people would've loved seeing you in it."

 _That again_... Wasn't _he_ the one that suggested she wear it only for his viewing pleasure? "You're only saying that because you wanted us to upstage our siblings."

"So what?! We're leagues above those two killjoys!" Seth said, crossing his arms. Nephthys let out a small laugh at her fiancé's sudden outburst. "I'm serious, Neph! Beauty, strength, intelligence. Those guys can't compare to us - no competition!" 

Nephthys sighed. "You're only saying that because you're drunk." Seth would never miss an opportunity to criticize their more affluent siblings. But his jealousy came out whenever he was intoxicated, his complaints sounding downright childish in comparison to his more legitimate resentment of their lower status. A sentiment that even Nephthys admitted she shared. 

"I'm not drunk!" His statement would've been more believable if his voice hadn't cracked at the last word. 

"Having a high tolerance isn't the same as-"

"And that's why I never get drunk! If I was, I wouldn't be able to -" Seth got out of bed and stumbled over to the window. " - do this!" He leaned out and pointed to the sky.

Only the indistinct chattering of the people outside their palace could be heard - probably those on their way home from the wedding reception.

"I'm sorry. What is 'this' exactly?" Nephthys said, trying to hold back her laughter at her fiancé's ridiculous behavior.

"What the -" Seth leaned further outside (Nephthys hoped he had enough sense not to fall). "Why isn't it working? It needs heat and moisture, right? Or should I also use cold magic?"

"Don't tell me you forget how to make Thunderstorms, My Lord of the Storm," Nephthys said, still trying to refrain from laughing.

"No, I - Damn. What was I gonna do?" Seth put a hand on his chin and started mumbling to himself. "Let's see... Djehuty said I use water, heat, and some other things when making storms." After a few minutes of contemplating, he then let out a frustrated sigh and slumped over the window ledge. "Ah, goddamnit! I can't think of anything! Come on, Neph! I'm tired!"

Nephthys walked over to him. "Alright, come here," she said softly, grabbing his hand. She barely caught him mumbling in agreement, in addition to something about "you smell nice."

They got back in the bed, Seth rolling over and resting his head against Nephthys' chest. She gently ran her hand through his hair, recalling the first time he had complained to her about it. His red hair and pale skin stood out from the darker complexion of his family - even their parents were shocked at his unusual appearance. Not even Thoth could figure out how such a thing even came about. 

Most of Seth's anger seemed to be directed towards the humans, however. Some found him "abnormal," going as far as assuming he's a demon in disguise (a belief further cemented by his golden eyes, which often appeared catlike at times). They worried he might someday reveal himself to be an enemy and overthrow the other gods. 

And his short temper did nothing to quell their fears. In one particular instance, he attacked a group of young boys who had mistaken him for a girl. Thankfully, Thoth stepped in before the fight escalated further. 

Seth came to Nephthys later that day, furious and ranting about how much he hated humans. How he hated himself. How he felt inferior to his siblings.

Nephthys' remembers what she'd told him clearly: "You're more beautiful than you think you are, Sutekh. I'll always love you, even if the whole world were to shun you." The look on his face when Nephthys told him she found his so-called "abnormal" appearance appealing warmed her heart. 

Much like the way he was sleeping against her. Seth's always been unpredictable, but Nephthys knew he'd always treat her with kindness, drunk or not. 

"I'll be sure to lend you more of my power next time, My Lord," she whispered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shedeh (also known as irep) was an ancient Egyptian wine made from red grapes.
> 
> Here's [My Tumblr](https://cherrycarmine.tumblr.com/) if you're interested.


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